The Summoner's Rebirth: Awaken, Milady

"Where were you heading? Should I accompany you?" Raon was a rather chatty child, and he wasn't scared of strangers. During the past three days, the child had been helping her immensely with settling down, even though Aria was pressured with the thought of returning back to the Tower.

She didn't know what was happening to her body back in reality. Was the Tower a separate realm where she couldn't die? Otherwise, Noel would be able to obliterate her defenseless state. He was weakened, but the strength he had garnered when he attacked Aria was more than enough to end the life of an unconscious woman sprawled in front of him.

Looking at Raon meant looking at Noel's childhood face. It kept reminding her of the fact that she was currently in an unknown place with little to no explanations offered up to her by the System, who caused it.

"Ah.. I was just about to go to Eliza, she asked me to help her out with the town's.. festival? Was it?" Aria replied, unsure of her duty. Eliza had told her that there was a preparation happening over at the town hall and that she should come and help out if she could, but Aria did not know what it was for.

"Hmm... Oh! I think you are talking about the town's celebration. Apparently, there was a bunch of dead monsters found in the outskirts of the town.. inside the forests. The hunters were sooo surprised when they found them! There were.. Umm, five of them, if I remember correctly. And, and, you know? They were not just regular monsters, but strong ones. I wonder how they got here and how they died, hm? If they got to the town, wouldn't it be disastrous?" Raon was cheery as he spoke, telling the news other people have told him.

"So, the hunters took the corpses back with them and planned to hold a grand feast. Isn't it great?"

However, despite Raon's joyful expressions, Aria was thinking about a completely different conclusion. This was not something to be celebrated. In the first place, the reason why cities varied in size and protection and were able to remain that way without change was because of it geographical situation and distribution. The ecosystem around it.

Towns like the one Raon resided in, if it was set in a different place- one populated densely by monsters, then it would be wiped out in an instant leaving no chance to defend itself. This was why, the geography and ecosystem components would determine the rates of people living around each area. If the monsters were stronger, then, to survive, you needed to be much more for stronger than someone who lived in a weaker area.

What did the appearance of these strong, foreign monsters's carcass- not one, not two, but five of them entail? It meant that something was definitely changing, and not in a good way. This kind of change would be devastating to a small town like Raon's, that would not be capable of adjusting and adapting to the situation fast enough before they get wiped out. The hunters Raon talked about were those who hunted small monsters and normal animals, and not strong enough hunters for a hectic and dire situation.

Aria's heart was unsettled as she placed her hand on top of Raon's head in reflex, as she used to regularly do that with Noel.

Raon tilted his head, wondering as to why Aria was doing such a thing. However, he did not resist, and rather liked it since Eliza also did this kind of gesture towards him a lot. His big sister was the only relative he had left after their parents both passed away, so he was very attached to her. Eliza had to act as both the motherly and fatherly figure for him.

"Big sister?" Raon called out as Aria seemed to be in a trance.

"Hm? Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't meant to," Aria laughed awkwardly, removing her hand from Raon's head.

"No, I don't mind! You don't have to be sorry for something like this.." Raon lowered his head, feeling a bit shy. "Anyway, big sister is headed towards the town center, right? I will follow you! I also planned to go over later, but since big sister is going now.. then I might as well just come," Raon said, shrugging.

Aria did not refuse the request, and they both walked side by side to the location, engaging in small talks. They reached the town center after only minutes of walking, and there was already a moderate crowd formed outside the sizeable building.

From a far distance, Aria was able to spot Eliza in the middle of the crowd. She was talking to a taller man who seemed like 'hunter', as he was carrying weapons with him.

The two of them approached Eliza and called her.

"Big sister!" Raon jumped up to Eliza and gave a tight hug to the older woman, receiving a helpless smile from Eliza in return.

"There, there. Big sister has to work, you know? You came here with Aria, hm?" Eliza patted Raon's head, stroking his slightly fluffy hair with care. Her eyes were extremely gentle as she hugged Raon once before escaping from his embrace.

"Aria, you are here! Welcome to the town center. I suppose that this would be the first time you visit. Tonight, we plan to hold a feast using the carcass this man had transported for us!" Eliza looked up to the man beside her, nudging him to speak and introduce himself.

"Hello, I am a hunter of this town, my name is Phil. Nice to meet you!" Phil extended his hand, offering a handshake which was accepted by Aria.

"I am Aria, a visitor. Eliza here saved me when I collapsed out of exhaustion. About the monster carcasses... I am a little curious, can you allow me to see them?"

"Sure, of course you may! Follow me to the back. It's being cleaned and prepared to be cut up," Phil said, gesturing for Aria to follow suit with his hand as he turned around. "Eliza, Raon, do you two also want to follow?"

The pair of siblings looked at each other before nodding. The pairs merged and became a group of four, and they began marching towards the back, where a butcher and his assistant was prepping up the monsters.

It was five monsters of the same species. Aria distinguished them by their signature traits even though they were already quite damaged by whatever killed them. They were called as Northern Bulls in her time. This town was also in the northern area, but definitely was not somewhere around Northern Bulls' habitats. It was really an anomaly why they appeared.

Her eyes were immediately drawn to their stomach. All five of them had the same wound located on their stomach. It was in the form of claw grips, and their flesh were torn apart to the point where their bones could be seen and some of their insides poured out before they were even gutted.

They all watched as the monster got sliced up, but that wasn't it.

In a few minutes, Aria received a strange distressing feeling.

"KIIIIK!!"

Aria winced, as she heard a piercing sound attack her hearing. It was rather far away, but she could tell that the one that made it was a living thing because of its characteristics and irregular patterns. It was screaming for once, then letting out several beeps the other time.

"Do you not hear it..?" Aria covered her ears, as it was extremely painful for her. The others looked at her with confusion as they did not know what she was talking about.

Aria frowned, and looked up in the sky. She removed her hands and tried to hear it better. It was coming somewhere from the north, and rapidly nearing the place they were in.

"There is a screeching sound.. Wait, this sound is- TELL EVERYONE TO RUN!!" Aria immediately reacted, her facial expression warped into a concerned one as she dragged Eliza with her and looked left and right for a weapon.

[Halvargg] was nowhere to be found, and her connection with the spirits were also gone. Aria knew exactly what this opponent would be. Not only because of the approaching sound, but also because this enemy was something she had fought before. She was the one who took it down.

It was the Bone Dragon. The one that caused the destruction of the entire town, wiping out more than half of the people's lives. If it was still in the past, or if she at least had a fragment of her original power, then she wouldn't be this frightened, but not to mention her lack of weapons, she was nowhere strong enough to fight an entire Bone Dragon by herself.

Clicking her tongue, Aria was instantly exposed to her tingling danger sensors and cursed the situation.